Analysis

With the numerous advances in computer technology and application software, the technology used in healthcare has had to advance as well. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's technology had to be upgraded and revamped constantly to maintain its competitive edge in the healthcare market. Back in early 2009, President Obama wanted to modernize the nation's health care records to computer systems in a very short time frame: 5 years. This stringent time frame has forced a huge growth in a new field of health care that combines the technical skills of computer programmers with the technical skills of nurses called Nursing Informatics. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital also has an Information Systems Department devoted to the maintenance and development of their version of Allscripts' Sunrise Clinical Manager (SCM) Electronic Health Record system. 

Collaboration

In a hospital environment, collaboration amongst many different departments and nursing floors is crucial. In Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, all department heads are constantly meeting with each other to improve communication, provide superior health care, and maximize patient satisfaction. All the departments from Information Systems to Host Services and the nursing floors achieve the hospital's goal of patient satisfaction through feedback and iteration. Through feedback and iteration, all hospital staff strive to provide the highest level of care to their patients from admission in the emergency room to discharge with patient transport/ambulance. 

Silos

Information silos pose a major problem to the information systems of many companies. Information silos form when data or information is isolated within one department within an organization. Departmental silos are less likely to have synchronized information between departments resulting in misinformation and frustration for employees and employers trying to get their jobs done with other departments. Historically, information silos formed very easily in a hospital setting and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital was no exception. With the heavy adoption of SCM and its Bed Management Suite, information silos have been largely eliminated and all patient information has now been consolidated into one large database maintained by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's own Information Systems department.

Information Systems Components

All systems are composed of five components: hardware, software, data, procedures, and most importantly, people. These components are crucial to the success and fulfillment of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's Goals.

Hardware

The hardware currently housing Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's vast patient information database is housed in an external server. This external server is housed off-site at a secure location and provides not just the information of patients in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's New Brunswick Location but also provides the same information to its satellite hospitals in Rahway and Hamilton. Robert Wood Johnson's data servers are locked away off site in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey and maintained by Eclipsys Solutions. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital also has an internal internet or intranet network that is closed off from the internet that connects all of the hospital's internal desktop computers to the external servers. The various desktop computers currently in use at the hospital are quite old by today's standards. 

Software

The current operating system that runs on all of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's desktop computer systems is Windows XP. Sunrise Clinical Manager is developed by Allscripts, Inc. and is developed further by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's own Information Systems department. With each new iteration/upgrade of Sunrise Clinical Manager, the Information Systems department stands at the forefront of rolling out the application and helping the nurses' and various departments acclimate to any new changes and provide computer assistance throughout upgrade periods.

Data

Sunrise Clinical Manager provides a user friendly interface that grants healthcare providers access to crucial patient information in order to make important healthcare decisions. Nurses chart their patient care inside the computer and doctors and unit secretaries enter orders electronically. Pharmacy is notified of any medication orders entered. Food Services, Housekeeping, and Patient Transport departments are notified of any discharge orders entered. As patients are discharged, Accounting, Patient Information, and Admissions are notified. All of these actions are synchronized within Sunrise Clinical Manager.

Procedures

Procedures are instructions for users to follow. In a hospital setting, there are a plethora of procedures. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has strict procedures regarding the release of patient information. Many requests for the release of patient information are handled by the Medical Records department and many vital patient information cannot be given over the phone to patient relatives requesting information. New employees are oriented to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Any employee handling sensitive patient information is not allowed to disclose any of it without consent by the patient themselves. Sensitive patient information is not allowed to be photocopied, spoken over the phone, written in e-mails, letters or other correspondence. Violations of HIPAA have resulted in termination of employment and lawsuits. 

 

People

People are the core of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. In the healthcare setting, interactions and relationships between doctors, nurses, patients, and other hospital staff are fundamental Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's success. The Information Systems department has definitely worked hard to facilitate better interdepartmental and inter-hospital communication to consolidate Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's position as a leading contender in New Jersey's healthcare market. There are at least 50 employees working in the Information Systems department at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital - New Brunswick, alone. 

 
Social Media

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has its own Facebook account. Their Facebook page features many events that the hospital hosts as well as any awards that the hospital has picked up throughout the year. (Facebook link is in 'Links' tab.)

   
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital also has its own Twitter account. The tweets on their page usually range from new support group announcements to the cafeteria special on that given day. (Twitter link is also in the 'Links' tab.)

Through these social media platforms, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital aims to be as close to the community at large and to continually be the most successful and recognized hospital in the area.